


Winter Diversion

by writworm42



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Separation Anxiety, Tea, Winter, flangst, worrying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-26
Updated: 2013-11-26
Packaged: 2018-01-02 16:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writworm42/pseuds/writworm42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble, prompted by Hlae: winter, branches, "tea". </p><p>Kise is worried because Kuroko is missing after going out to collect firewood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Diversion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hlae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlae/gifts).



“Kurokocchi! _Kuroo-kooo-cchiiii!_ ” Kise cupped reddening fingers around his lips, calling out into the cold, empty air. Frowning, Kise watched his breath float around, forming a veneer against trees and bushes masked uniformly in heavy mounds of snow. Where was Kuroko hiding?

Leaning against the door frame, one shoulder in the warm embrace of indoors, Kise let his mind wander back to the morning, which now seemed to have been ages ago--winter would do that to him, sometimes, with the dark moving in so soon and leaving so late. Kuroko never minded the time-shifts; he was a man of routine, and would never let something as trivial, as fickle as winter interrupt his morning schedule. Kise smirked, remembering it. 5 AM, wake, try not to rouse Kise while sliding icicle-feet out from under piles of cashmere, wool, and down. 5:01 AM, accidentally wake him anyway. _Go back to sleep_. 6 AM, go out for a run. Kise had always wondered what Kuroko did in the winter months, when the snow around their home, in the untamed acres of forest and marsh that surrounded their property, was as high as even Kise’s knees, much less little Kurokocchi’s. Surely, he didn’t run _outside_ ; then again, Kuroko _did_ always go out to collect branches for a fire on Sundays at 4 PM, right when the sky was holding its breath, steadily glowing pinker and pinker as the world stood still. It was a winter tradition; Kuroko did the dirty-work, Kise made the tea.

Only, Kuroko was late.

The sky exhaled black and blue, a few stars poking small white forms out to glance at the world as lights went on, the noise of snowball-fights and angel-making died down. Kise held in his breath.

Where was Kurokocchi? Had he gotten lost? Had trouble finding branches?

Or worse? The thought had barely crossed his mind, no scenarios had developed, before Kise had grabbed his coat and was out the door, socked feet crunching angrily into the snow as he ran toward the forest. _It’s okay, Kuroko’s all right. It’s okay. It’s okay._

_It’s—_

“Kise-kun?”

Kise stopped in his tracks, adrenaline keeping the air around him warm. He knew that voice, knew that peculiar, cautious tone.

“Kurokocchi?” he turned around slowly, ice grinding against his now-burning feet. Sure enough, Kuroko stood behind him, arms clutching a pile of fire-wood.

“What are you doing outside? Are you—Are you _barefoot?_ ” Kuroko frowned, concern pushing a red flush into his cheeks.

“I was looking for you! You’re an hour late!”

“Sorry,” Kuroko sighed, smiling slightly, “I should have called… I stopped at Ms. Kagawa’s house, she asked me to collect a little extra firewood for her, since she broke her foot last week and can’t get outside herself. You know how she is, she can talk your ear off…”

Kise exhaled, laughing despite himself. “You bastard,” he teased, “Did she feed you, too?”

“Nope. Not even tea. Which would have been nice, given how cold it is.”

“Good,” Kise smiled mischeviously, “Because I’ve got earl gray steeping at home.”

Smiling wider, Kuroko trudged through the snow over to Kise.

“God, I love you,” he whispered, landing a kiss on Kise’s instantly hot cheek. “Race you home?”

“Sure. GO!”


End file.
